Yarn tension system



April 1945. H. J. THEILER mm TENSION SYSTEM Filed Dec.29, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 VE TOR ATTORNYS I April l945- v H. THEILER 3, 6

- YARN TENSION SYSTEM Filed Dec. 29, 1942 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Apr. 3, 1945 um'rso YARN TENSION SYSTEM Hans J. Theiler, Whitinsvilla'Mass assignor to Whitin Machine Works, Whltinsville, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 29, 1942, Serial No. 470,524

7 Claims.

The invention is an improved yam tension a ls-- tem, of the creel-mounted type for use in multipie-head yam-winding machines, the purpose being to simplify the process of adjusting the winding tension so that it can be effected individually and simultaneouslylin all of the yarns by minute and exactly equal increments as to each, thereby saving much delay and labor heretofore required for this operation.

To this end the invention consists in the organization of parts and in their respective related functions as herein explained and exemplified in the drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a partial end view of an automatic yam-winder. I

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the new tension system.

Fig. 3, a plan of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4, a larger scale plan of one tension group,

Fig, 5, a side elevation thereof partly in section, and

Fig. 6, an end elevation.

In Fig. l the automatic winder, denoted generally by i, has an upstanding creel at its rear comprising uprights 2 supporting horizontal, forwardly extending arms 3, including also such 1ongitudinal and cross bracing as may be appropri ate. The new system is mounted on the front ends of these arms 3, above the winding mechanlsm. The yarns are drawn through it from the creel packages i by the rotating bobbins 5 on which the yarns are wound and, as will be understood, the tension imparted to the yam controls the firmness of the woven product. There are commonly many winding heads in a winding machine all arranged in a row on a common base,-

and all served from the yam-packages or the creel mounted on such base.

The new system comprises two horizontal parallel shafts 6 and 1', of square section in the present case, both running the full length of the creel, which is to say, the full length of the machine. These shafts are preferably mounted one above the other or at least close together, and one of them, which is the lower one in the present case and marked 7!, is fixed-rigidly to the creel arms 3 by means of a series of hangers 8 sleeved on the arms 3 (Fig. 2) and secured fast thereto, thus making this lower shaft l a part of the creel framing, being parallel to the row of winding and 'made permanent by setting up a companion nut in threaded on the shaft, on the opposite side of the same hanger. Since this adjustment controls the tension for. the whole machine, it is found desirable to bolt a cover ll over the wheel nut 9 to guard against inadvertent or unauthorized operation of it which might, have serious consequences on the wound product.

For each of the windingheads in the row there is a group of tension units for controlling the tension of the yarn going to that head. There is no limitation to the particular design of the tension unit but the style best suited to the purposes of this invention comprises two superposed disc elements l2 and i3, dished so as to have divergent rims, each pair of discs being mounted on a vertical post element l4 which is desirably a porcelain sleeve capable of rotation on a stud shaft t5, the free end of which shaft is bent over and inwardly so as to serve as a slope to. guide the yarn. between the discs, as a convenience in threading up. The porcelain sleeve and the lower disc rest on soft washers.

Such tension units are by themselves well known in the art and need not be described further than to say that the yarn passing through them rubs on the discsand also on the porcelain sleeves or posts, and the rubbing friction creates the tension. Some rotation is-thereby imparted to the sleeves and discs, by the movement of the yarn, but the tension-producing friction is pri-,- marily that of the yarn rubbing on these elements.

One part of the group of tensionunits for each head, two units in the present case, is mounted on or fixed to the fixed shaft 1 of the creel framing, approximately directly over its winding head, and the other part of the group, one unit in the present case, is connected to or mounted on the movable shaft 6, all unitsbeing in the same horizontal plane. The, yarn is threaded successively around each unit of the group so that the tension is the sum of the frictional effects of the whole group of units. Such tension is changed by changing the relative positions of the two parts of the group which changes the extent of friction surface engaged by the yarn, and which is done by endwise shifting the rod 3.

The two fixed units are shown as mounted by their respective studs it on the opposite ends of a horizontal fixture or brackets l6, which is secured to the shaft l by a set screw it and the entrance guide ll and the exit guide iii, are also mounted on this bracket. The guide i8 is a porup. Such brackets, rather than the hangers 8f" also form the slideway bearings for the movable shaft 6, each being for this purpose provided with a recess on its upper side, between the two units,

in which the rod i slides and to which it is con-' fined by a strap 2| (Fig. 4).

The movable tension unit of the group is mounted by its stud l5 directly on the upper face of such movable shaft 6 and in the same horizongtal plane as the two other units, and has a supplementary yam-guiding slope 6' also fixed directly to the shaft. when it is moved close to the line between the other two, to the left in Fig. 6, the friction of the yarn, and hence the tension thereof, is least, when moved away from such line to the right, it is maximum, the difference being due to the change thus caused in the length of the total length of surface over which the yarn rubs in passing around the units.

Thus by endwise moving the shaft 6, as by manipulating the wheel unit 9, the yarn tension can be simultaneously changed for all of the winding heads.

The tension in each individual head can be changed independently of the others by appropriately shifting the normally fixed positionof its bracket i 8' on the shaft I, that is to say, by the use of the screw it above referred to. Close equality of tension as between all the heads can thus be easily obtained and thereafter extremely fine and simultaneous adjustment for all of the heads can be quickly made, by the use of the wheel nut thereby insuring that whatever the grade of the yarn the machine will produce an identically wound product on all its bobbins and spindles.

The close proximity and vertical relation of the two shafts 8 and I afford the opportunity to furnish the system with a simple indicator whereby the extent or value of any change of adjustment may be observed or checked. This consists of a window-piate 20 or the like, fixed fast to the lower shaft I, overlying the movable shaft, and marked with a scale or index for comparison with an index or scale placed on the latter, showing through the window. By this means any degree of tension known to be appropriate for a particular kind of yarn can be established at once for all the heads and without the customary preliminary testing, head by head.

I claim:

, l. A tension system for a multi-head winding machine, comprising a creel at the rear of such machine including forwardly extending arms overlying the winding mechanism of the machine, hangers carried on the front ends of such arms and a horizontal shaft carried on and fixed to said hangers, a group of tension units for each winding'head, a part of each such group being normally fixed on said horizontal shaft, a movably mounted companion shaft on such creel common to all of said tension groups, the other part of each of said tension groups being con-' nectedto such movable shaft and subject to simultaneous equal adjustment with relation to the normally fixed units bygthe movement thereof.

2. A tension system for a multi-head winding machine, comprising a creel at the rear of such machine, and two horizontal shafts carried by said creel, one of them being endwise movable .therein, a group of tensionunits for each winding head, a bracket for supporting. a part of each such group, said bracket beingnormally fixed to but longitudinally adjustable on one of said shafts to change the position of the tension units It is the middle unit and thereon, all of the remaining part of each tension group being carried on the other of said shafts whereby all of the tension groups are adjustable independently and collectively.

3. A tension system for amulti-head winding machine, comprising a creel on the rear of such machine and two horizontal shafts carried on said creel one above the other and above the machine, a group of substantially horizontal tension units for each winding head, a part of each such group being mounted on one of said shafts, a bracket mounted on the other shaft carrying the other part of said tension groups and sup-' porting said other part in a common plane with the rest of the tension group and means for endwise moving one of said shafts.

4. A tension system for a multi-head winding machine, comprising a creel at the rear of such machine and two horizontal shafts carried on said creel one above the other and above the machine, a group of tension units in a substantially horizontal plane for each winding head, a part of each such group being mounted on one of said shafts, a bracket mounted on the other shaft carrying the other part of each of said tension groups and supporting said other part in the same plane as the rest of the tensiongroup, said bracket being longitudinally movable on its shaft, and means for endwise moving one of said shafts.

5. A tension system for a multi-head winding machine, comprising a creel at the rear of such machine and two horizontal shafts carried on said creel one above the other, a group of tension units in a substantially horizontal plane for each winding head, a part'of each such group being mounted on one of said shafts and said shaft being endwise movable, a bracket mounted on the other shaft carrying the other part of each of said tension groups, said bracket forming a support for the endwise movable shaft, and means for endwise moving said other shaft.

6. A tension system for a multi-head winding machine, comprising a creel at the rear of such machine including forwardly extending arms,

hangers carried on the front ends of such arms and a horizontal shaft carried on and fixed to said hangers, a group of tension units for each winding head, a bracket adjustably mounted on said fixed shaft, a part of each tension group being mounted on said bracket, a companion horizontal shaft movably supported on said brackets,

the other part of each of said tension groups being connected to such movable shaft andsubject to simultaneous adjustment with relation to the normally fixed units by the movement thereof.

7. A creel-supported tension system for a multihead winding machine, comprising a creel at the rear of such machine, a horizontal shaft carried on said creel, a substantially horizontal group of tension units for each'winding head, a bracket on said shaft, two units of each tension group being mounted on said bracket, an endwise movably companion shaft on such creel common to all of said groups, another unit of each of the tension groups being mounted on such. movable shaft respectively. intermediate of said other units and subject to simultaneous equal adjustment with relation thereto by the endwise movement of, said companion shaft. I

HANS J. THEILER. 

